Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2021 Jun 17;15(1):319.
doi: 10.1186/s13256-021-02793-7.

Obturator hernia: a case report

C Kendall Major  1 , Madiha Aziz  1 , Jay Collins  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Obturator hernia: a case report

C Kendall Major et al. J Med Case Rep. .

Abstract

Background: Obturator hernia is rare and accounts for less than 1% of all abdominal wall hernias. It represents a diagnostic challenge due to its nonspecific signs and symptoms.

Case presentation: We present a case of an 89-year-old caucasian female with a 12-hour history of right medial thigh pain. Computed tomography scan revealed a right obturator hernia with small bowel obstruction. The hernia was successfully repaired laparoscopically without any need for small bowel resection. She was discharged on postoperative day 2 with an uneventful recovery and zero complications.

Conclusion: This case report highlights the importance of rapid diagnosis and repair of obturator hernia even in the setting of an improving clinical picture. It also demonstrates the safety of laparoscopic repair in this setting.

Keywords: Bowel obstruction; Case report; General surgery; Hernia; Laparoscopic; Obturator hernia.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Not applicable.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Axial computed tomography image showing a right-sided obturator hernia (denoted by the blue arrow)
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Coronal computed tomography scan showing a right-sided obturator hernia (denoted by the blue arrow)
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Dilated loops of bowel surrounding the obturator hernia after reduction
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Lo CY, Lorentz TG, Lau PW. Obturator hernia presenting as small bowel obstruction. Am J Surg. 1994;167(4):396–398. doi: 10.1016/0002-9610(94)90123-6. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Gilbert JD, Byard RW. Obturator hernia and the elderly. Forensic Sci Med Pathol. 2019;15(3):491–493. doi: 10.1007/s12024-018-0046-z. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Perry CP, Echeverri JD. Hernias as a cause of chronic pelvic pain in women. JSLS. 2006;10(2):212–215. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Shipkov CD, Uchikov AP, Grigoriadis E. The obturator hernia: difficult to diagnose, easy to repair. Hernia. 2004;8(2):155–157. doi: 10.1007/s10029-003-0177-2. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kulkarni SR, Punamiya AR, Naniwadekar RG, Janugade HB, Chotai TD, Vimal Singh T, et al. Obturator hernia: a diagnostic challenge. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2013;4(7):606–608. doi: 10.1016/j.ijscr.2013.02.023. - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types